Mystery Shopping Thread 25 *PLEASE READ THE OP FIRST**PLEASE NO CLIENT NAMES OR FEES

Dupin

I just had an email from ESA asking if I wanted to do regular undercover price checking assignments using their smartphone app.


I haven't got an iPhone but I was thinking of getting one. If I do get one, is it worth doing these assignments? What is the app like and what is the assignment like?


Thanks

headcrash27

Dupin wrote: »

I just had an email from ESA asking if I wanted to do regular undercover price checking assignments using their smartphone app.


I haven't got an iPhone but I was thinking of getting one. If I do get one, is it worth doing these assignments? What is the app like and what is the assignment like?


Thanks

They've been in touch with me about this too but you don't need an Iphone to do it, you can do it with an android phone.

The thing that concerns me about it is that it's supposed to be covert but the amount of scanning that they want you to do is going to take a considerable amount of time and is surely going to arouse suspicion. Plus as you have to do it every week, i think shop staff are soon going to wonder what you are up to.

Big_Graeme

Dupin wrote: »

I just had an email from ESA asking if I wanted to do regular undercover price checking assignments using their smartphone app.


I haven't got an iPhone but I was thinking of getting one. If I do get one, is it worth doing these assignments? What is the app like and what is the assignment like?


Thanks

You don't need an iPhone it works just as well on an Android handset.

headcrash27

Implication wrote: »

Had my first assignment today, have one BIG question: how on earth are you supposed to take discrete, appropriate photos of shop fronts??? There are always people walking in the way, clients want specific information in the photo, they want it a specific orientation (so it's not very easy to pretend to just be texting) etc. etc. and I just don't see how it's possible to get a good photo without hanging around for ages and/or looking suspicious!

I don't do it particularly discreetly either. You see people taking photos of buildings all the time so I don't think it looks that odd. I don't really care what anyone thinks anyway. I tend to stand across the road from the shop and zoom in so i'm not directly in view of the shop.

headcrash27

jacquibaby wrote: »

Quick q! When being asked to join the shortest queue and not express or whatever, but you find that people are doing that one queue for all tills thing, what do you do?!!

I always just make a note of it where it states that the times were quicker/slower than expected. I've never had them question it.

stirling-gorilla

Im just starting out doing mystry shopping so far I have done about 6 shops and slowly getting use to it, but there is a few jobs where they are wanting photos that are going to be difficult, eg yourself, newspaper and location sinage all in one shot, or am I reading it wrong.

I have also came across a few jobs where I have to take some with me but when reading more into the payments for it there isnt much point of doing the job. Im sorry but £10 for a few drinks, snack and a game is just not worth completing the paperwork for.

Am I being to critical of it or is this the norm?

Big_Graeme

mimi1234 wrote: »

Lodge closed down a few months ago. It was the sister company of React who took on most of their work. React allocated the workd, the bad thing is they don't let you do circuits whereas with Lodge, you could do a whole hospital / collection of cinemas in one run.

Not quite right, the Darlington office closed but Lodge still exists, they concentrate on revenue protection and security work though, most of the MS work has gone to React but some charity work is still around.

I've only been allowed to do a whole hospital with React, they won't let me take just one, the cinema jobs don't earn me money so I'm not bothered about them. I did one job for Lodge, my face didn't seem to fit.

mimi1234 wrote: »

I had no idea they were still running and allocated TNS jobs though.

The smaller agencies cover what the big ones struggle with all the time, usually for rates they don't want to be seen to offer under their own name. Mystery Shoppers and Mystery Outsource do loads of stuff like that.

MysteryMe

jacquibaby wrote: »

Quick q! When being asked to join the shortest queue and not express or whatever, but you find that people are doing that one queue for all tills thing, what do you do?!!

Quite a few locations have this, it's not an issue. If there is only one queue then that's the queue you join!




Ref photos. Obviously you are taking them after the visit so particularly with High Street shops or car dealerships when inside notice where any staff desks and / or advertising banners and you can often work out where their blind spot is when looking out onto the street.

Dupin

headcrash27 wrote: »

They've been in touch with me about this too but you don't need an Iphone to do it, you can do it with an android phone.

The thing that concerns me about it is that it's supposed to be covert but the amount of scanning that they want you to do is going to take a considerable amount of time and is surely going to arouse suspicion. Plus as you have to do it every week, i think shop staff are soon going to wonder what you are up to.

Thanks headcrash27 and BigGraeme, I have a windows phone atm but I was thinking of changing it to an iPhone, but the app is not on windows that's why I mentioned iPhone, sorry for any confusion


I assumed on the assignment you would just go round recording the prices of certain items. But if you have to scan everything, as you say this is far too much effort and suspicious. Also, any idea what the fees are like? They say they pay per line of data, but that's quite unhelpful...

mrbanjo

stirling-gorilla wrote: »

Im just starting out doing mystry shopping so far I have done about 6 shops and slowly getting use to it, but there is a few jobs where they are wanting photos that are going to be difficult, eg yourself, newspaper and location sinage all in one shot, or am I reading it wrong.

I have also came across a few jobs where I have to take some with me but when reading more into the payments for it there isnt much point of doing the job. Im sorry but £10 for a few drinks, snack and a game is just not worth completing the paperwork for.

Am I being to critical of it or is this the norm?

Please read the first few posts and do not mention fees